A former member of Haverfordwest town council has been jailed today (Wednesday) for sending obscene text messages to a 15 year old girl.

Stephen David Evans, aged 57, who won a by-election in 2010, admitted sending her a string of messages but without revealing his identity.

But she researched his telephone number and the police were called in.

Two of the messages were sent before her 16th birthday and Evans admitted two offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activities.

Evans, of Slade Park, off Slade Lane, was jailed for 16 months.

Robin Rouch, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how the girl was shocked to receive a text message at 7.22am on September 6, 2014, in which Evans said, bluntly, that he wanted to s**g her.

The following day she received another message from Evans in which he wrote that he was masturbating and thinking about having oral sex with her.

“Further messages followed, including one suggesting that they meet up, but she had no idea who they were from,” added Mr Rouch.

Mr Rouch said the messages continued until the following May, but by then she had reached 16 and they did not constitute offences.

After Evans had been traced and arrested experts examined his computer and found that he had been researching the girl on the internet.

Mr Rouch said the messages had upset the victim so much that she failed to achieve the examination grades that she had expected.

Jim Davis, representing Evans, said he had been a voluntary worker and a well known soccer referee as well as a councillor and had suffered extreme shame and embarrassment.

At the time, he added, his wife had been seriously ill and he had been abusing alcohol.

“He accepts that they were horrible messages and wants to apologise to her,” added Mr Davis.

Judge Peter Heywood said he would be failing in his public duty if he did not send Evans to jail immediately.

“You blighted her life in what was an important school year,” he added.

Evans was also ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years and on his release from prison will be banned from working with children.

Judge Heywood also issued a retraining order banning Evans from contacting the girl “to give her peace of mind.”